System and method for electronic presentations

ABSTRACT

An electronic presentation system and method provides multiple display screens for presentation materials as well as permits dynamic annotations to presentation materials that do not permanently alter the presentation materials. The presentation materials can easily be directed to any one of the display screens and any annotations can be saved for future use or simply deleted. A single interface screen allows simple annotation of either the left or right screen images while a zoom feature allows slides to be presented in a variety of different ways. Additional features include tracking and displaying an indication of how a presentation is progressing relative to a pre-set timeline, identifying and tracking slides of a presentation which need correction or updating, and permitting a presenter to annotate slides of a presentation while located remotely from the presentation system.

[0001] This application is a continuation in part of the U.S. patentApplication (Attorney Docket No. 36080-046) filed May 27, 2003 which,itself, is a continuation-in part of the U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/153,859, filed May 24, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FORELECTRONIC PRESENTATIONS, which relates to and claims priority from U.S.Provisional Application Serial No. 60/293,179, filed May 25, 2001,entitled ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD, thedisclosure of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to group presentations systems andmethods and, more particularly, to an electronic presentation system andmethod having multiple screens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] One traditional method for making presentations to relativelysmall groups, such as in an educational or training environment,includes the use of an overhead projector and view foils ortransparencies. According to this familiar method, the presenter has aseries of view foils that are manually placed on, and then removed from,an overhead projector in a predetermined order. While blank view foilsare sometimes inserted to allow the presenter to dynamically presentmaterial during the presentation, the presenter is unlikely to annotatea previously prepared view foil because such an annotation would likelyruin the foil for future use.

[0004] Recent advances in automation have addressed some of theshortcomings of this traditional presentation method. In one instance, acomputer's video output can now be connected to a projector so that acomputer generated slide show can be shown on a screen, sometimes withanimation. However, this introduction of automation does not change thelimited and static nature of the presentation materials and methods.

[0005] Accordingly, there remains a need for a dynamic presentationsystem and method that allows a presenter to effectively and dynamicallypresent material that can easily be modified and augmented according toeach environment in which the presentation is made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention addresses these and other needs with asystem and method that provides multiple display screens forpresentation materials as well as permits dynamic annotations topresentation materials that do not permanently alter the presentationmaterials. The presentation materials can easily be directed to any oneof the display screens, and any annotations can be saved for future useor simply deleted.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention relates to a system forproviding electronic presentations in which the system includes, forexample, a plurality of presentation slides stored in a first memoryaccessible by a programmable computer; a first display screen coupledwith the programmable computer and having a first video input signal; asecond display screen coupled with the programmable computer and havinga second video input signal; and a third display screen coupled with theprogrammable computer and having a third video input signal. Thepresentation system also includes a presentation control softwareapplication that is stored in a second memory accessible by theprogrammable computer wherein the programmable computer is configured toexecute the presentation control application to provide an interface,displayed on the third display screen, by which each of the plurality ofslides is dispatched for display to either one of the first or seconddisplay screens. The third display screen includes a multi-windoweddisplay interface that simultaneously depicts the current right-sideimage, the current left-side image and an image of the next slide to bedispatched. Using the presentation control system a presenter canselected either the right-side or left-side image and perform real-timeannotation of that image.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a softwareapplication and method for providing an electronic presentation of aplurality of slides using multiple display screens that provides apresentation control interface on a center display screen; displays aslide, from among the plurality of slides, in a preview window withinthe presentation control interface; receives input via the presentationcontrol interface indicating whether to direct the slide to a rightdisplay screen or a left display screen; dispatches the slide fordisplay on the indicated display screen; and retrieves a next slide fordisplay in the preview window. In addition to the display on theseparate screens, the presentation control interface simultaneouslydisplays, in separate sub-windows, on the center display screen theslide from the right side, the slide from the left side, and the nextpresentation slide to be dispatched. From this center display screeneither slide can be selected and annotated so as to modify thepresentation in real-time.

[0009] Further aspects of the present invention include tracking anddisplaying an indication of how a presentation is progressing relativeto a pre-set timeline, identifying and tracking slides of a presentationwhich need correction or updating, and permitting a presenter toannotate slides of a presentation while located remotely from thepresentation system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not byway of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and inwhich like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary presentation system according toan embodiment of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary presentation system according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 3 illustrates additional connections useful in thepresentation system according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.

[0014]FIG. 4 illustrates rear panel connectors of an exemplary computeraccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 5 depicts a logical flowchart of an exemplary presentationmethod according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary screenshot of a presentationapplication interface according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0017]FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary toolbar of an annotationapplication for touch-screen monitors according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0018]FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary remote control according to anembodiment of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary presentation system incorporatinga single touch-screen display.

[0020]FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary multi-window interface accordingto the embodiment of FIG. 9.

[0021]FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary annotation screen interfaceaccording to the embodiment of FIG. 9.

[0022]FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary split-screen mode for displayinga presentation slide according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0023]FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary zoom mode for displaying apresentation slide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024]FIG. 14 illustrates the zoom mode display of FIG. 13 after aportion of the presentation slide has been selected for magnification.

[0025]FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary presentation control interfacescreen-shot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026]FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary logical flowchart for trackingtimeline information according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following description, for purposes of explanation,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, toone schooled in the art that the present invention may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

[0028] Various embodiments of the present invention are presented anddiscussed below. In particular, many embodiments are described inreference to the specific environment of instructional or trainingpresentations. This specific environment is helpful in describing manyof the aspects of the present invention. However, the present inventionis not limited to only this specific environment, but rathercontemplates within its scope other presentation environments in whichmultiple screens and dynamic annotation capability are beneficial.

[0029]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary presentation system 100 accordingto one embodiment of the present invention. According to thisembodiment, a computer system 106 controls the data flows andpresentation materials used by the other components. In particular, thecomputer 106 provides a graphical interface 122 on the monitor 104 toassist the presenter in controlling a presentation. The video datadisplayed on the interface monitor 104 is provided by video output 116 bof the computer 106. Although not shown in its entirety, computer system106 is a conventional system in that it comprises a keyboard, massstorage devices, and network, parallel, and serial interfaces as well asthe many other peripherals and components known to be part of a typicalcomputer system.

[0030] The computer system 106 also includes separate video outputs 116a, 116 c that respectively provide video output to the left-handprojector 114 a and right-hand projector 114 b. The video output can beSVGA formatted video signals as well as other conventional videoformats. Within the present description, the left/right hand conventionis from the perspective of the presenter. The video data that is outputover each of the video outputs 116 a, 116 c is determined by thepresenter using the interface 122. Using the interface 122, thepresenter retrieves presentation material from storage (not shown)accessible by the computer system 106 and then directs that material toone, or both, of the video outputs 116 a, 116 c. The projectors 114 a,114 b then display the respective presentation materials on a respectivescreen 102 a, 102 b.

[0031] The video outputs 116 a, 116 c, in addition to being directed toprojectors 114 a, 114 b, also are directed via respective paths 118 a,118 b to touch-screen monitors 110 a, 110 b. In practice, the monitors110 a, 110 b would be located near the presenter while the screens 102a, 102 b would be located for convenient viewing by an audiencereceiving the presentation. Each of the touch-screen monitors 110 a, 110b are connected to the computer system 106. In FIG. 1, these connections120 a, 120 b are depicted as serial connections, but other functionallyequivalent feedback connection paths are contemplated by the presentinvention as well. These connection paths can be other types ofinput/output protocols and hardware and are not limited to RS-232 serialcommunication paths. The connections 120 a, 120 b are used to providefeedback from a respective touch-screen monitor 110 a, 10 b thatindicates any tactile interaction that may be taking place with themonitors 110 a, 110 b. While FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary stylus 112 a,112 b for each monitor 110 a, 110 b, tactile interaction with themonitors 110 a, 110 b can occur using the same stylus or even no stylusat all.

[0032] The interface 122 can be controlled using a keyboard, mouse orother input device connected to the computer 106. However, to providethe presenter some flexibility in movement and location around a room, aremote control device 108 is also connected 120 c to the computer system106 to control the interface 122 as well. This remote control device 108could include a transmitter (and receiver on the computer 106) thatutilizes USB, FireWire, IrDA, serial or many other types of input/outputconventions to connect with the computer 106. Additionally, the displaydevice 104 can also be a touch-screen device that allows the presenterto control the presentation using tactile initiated commands and such adevice will need its own feedback path 124.

[0033] Within the exemplary presentation system 100 of FIG. 1, thecomputer system 106 controls the operation of the presentation byconcurrently executing: a) a presentation interface 122 that is used toretrieve and direct (or dispatch) presentation materials to one of twovideo outputs 116 a, 116 c; b) an annotation tool for the left-handscreen 102 a that receives tactile feedback from a touch-screen monitor110 a and adjusts the video output 116 a accordingly; and c) anannotation tool for the right-hand screen 102 b that receives tactilefeedback from a touch-screen monitor 110 b and adjusts the video output116 c accordingly.

[0034] Within the embodiment just described, as well as otherembodiments described herein, the exemplary components are not intendedto limit the scope of the present invention. For example, thetouch-screen monitors 110 a, 110 b can include LCD display panels orother types of displays; and the computer 106 does not necessarily haveto be physically located with the other components but can be connectedthrough network or other longer-range cabling techniques to the variousother components of the presentation system 100.

[0035]FIG. 2 illustrates another exemplary presentation system 200according to another, more preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. The system 200 utilizes many conventional components toachieve the inventive presentation systems and methods described below.For example, the video switch 240 can be a conventional, controllable4×4 video switch that includes its own driver software and applicationprogramming interface (API) routines for easy integration. Similarly,the monitors 212, 238, 234 can be conventional touch-screen monitorsthat include their own driver software and calibration routines thateasily integrate with other components of the system 200. Modernoperating systems, such as the one executing on computer 204 typicallyallow defining of multiple video displays so that no modification of theoperating system is needed to support operation and interaction ofmultiple video cards within the computer 204.

[0036] Within this embodiment, as compared to system 100, additionalvideo displays are possible and a video switch 240 is used to provideadditional functionality. However, because many aspects of the system200 are similar to those of the system 100 of FIG. 1, detailedexplanation of some features are not repeated when describing FIG. 2.

[0037] The system 200 includes a computer 204 used by a presenter toprovide a multi-screen presentation to an audience using left 232 andright 236 projectors. The presenter has available three monitors: a leftscreen monitor 234 which shows the material being presented from theleft projector 232, a right screen monitor 238 which shows the materialbeing presented from the right projector 236, and the center monitor 212which provides a graphical user interface to the presentation softwareapplication running on the computer 204.

[0038] In the exemplary system 200, there is also a demonstrationcomputer 216, demonstration monitor 202, and video splitter 214. Thevideo splitter 214 provides the video output 218 from the demonstrationcomputer 216 to both the demonstration monitor 202 and the video switch240. The demonstration computer 216 is typically under the control ofthe presenter and can be used to create simulations and otherdemonstrations that further augment or explain the presentationmaterials being viewed by an audience. Consequently, the graphical userinterface also allows the presenter to direct the video output of thedemonstration computer 216 to one of the projectors 232, 236 so that theaudience has the benefit of the simulations and demonstrations.

[0039] The video switch 240 is a conventional video switch as is knownto one of ordinary skill and can be controlled to direct a data signalreceived at one of its inputs to one or more of its data outputs. Asshown, the video switch 240 receives at least three video signals: a)208 (from the computer 204); b) 210 (from the computer 204); and c) 220(from the demonstration computer 216 via the video splitter 214).Depending on the settings of the video switch 240, these various inputsignals are then directed to one or more of the following outputs: a)224 (the left projector 232); b) 226 (the left monitor 234); c) 228 (theright projector 236); and d) 230 (the right monitor 238).

[0040] Similar to the system 100 described before, the system 200 ofFIG. 2 provides a presentation system that allows a presenter to use agraphical user interface that executes on computer 204 and displays onthe center monitor 212. This user interface permits the presenter toretrieve presentation materials, preview them on the center monitor 212and then dispatch the materials to either the left projector 232, theright projector 236, or both. To control what is presented to theaudience, the presenter uses the interface to send materials out of oneof two video outputs 208, 210 and to configure the video switch 240 todirect its different video inputs to appropriate video outputs.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the serial path 310 is one exemplary methodfor the computer 204 to selectably configure the video switch 240. Inparticular, using the communications link 310, the presenter interactswith the presentation system software to send a command from thecomputer 204 to the video switch 240. Based on this command, the videoswitch 240 controls the coupling between video inputs and outputs.

[0042] The right monitor 238, left monitor 234, and the center monitor212 in a preferred embodiment are all touch-screen monitors. Inaddition, the computer 204 is executing three instances of an annotationtool (e.g., a software application) wherein each instance of theannotation tool allows modification or augmentation of the video datadisplayed on a respective one of the monitors 212, 234, 238. Thisaugmented video data is overlaid onto any presentation slides that arecurrently being displayed. As shown in FIG. 3, these monitors areconnected to respective inputs of the computer 204. The exemplaryfeedback paths 304-308 of FIG. 3 are shown as serial communication pathsthat provide responses to the computer 204 that are dependent on tactileinteraction with a respective touch-screen monitor. The feedback data isrouted to the appropriate instance of the annotation tools in order toappropriately adjust the video data displayed on the appropriatemonitor.

[0043] In operation, the presenter will touch one monitor for example,right monitor 238 which brings the “focus” of the operating system tothe instance of the annotation tool associated with the right monitor238. Using the annotation tool and the touch screen monitor 238 (alongwith its driver software), the presenter is able to draw such things astext, boxes, free-hand diagrams and other annotations that can beoverlaid onto the video data that is being output by the computer 204for display on the right presentation screen. Accordingly, the audiencehas the benefit of static presentation material that can be easilyaugmented in real-time in response to the individual needs of thatparticular audience.

[0044]FIG. 4 displays an exemplary view of a computer 204. As shown,this computer can include multiple video output ports 410-414 as well asmultiple input/output ports 402-408. The present invention is notlimited to the specific computer arrangement and port types of FIG. 4,but rather contemplates alternative, functionally equivalentarrangements as well.

[0045]FIG. 5 depicts a high-level logical flowchart of an exemplarypresentation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.According to this flowchart, the presenter can utilize a system such asthat depicted in FIG. 2 to provide effective and dynamic multiple-screenpresentations to an audience. The method can be embodied as one or moresoftware applications that can run on one or more computers that whenexecuted perform the presentation method as herein described.

[0046] In step 502, a list of available presentations are presented to apresenter to allow the presenter to make a selection. Once apresentation file is selected, the method continues, in step 504, byproviding a list of the slides that comprise the selected presentation.Once the presentation file is selected, the presentation system canproceed with the later steps of displaying images under the control ofthe presenter. However, a preloader is one useful tool that preloadsimages and the accompanying data files so that they are cached prior tothe start of the presentation. In operation, the preloader tool may ormay not be used at the discretion of the presenter; however, use of thecached images will allow faster display of different screens as comparedto performing the presentation with uncached images.

[0047] The first slide among the slides is automatically presented in apreview window, in step 506, so that the presenter can see what the nextslide is and decide how it can best be displayed. At this point, thepresenter might determine that the slide should be annotated, in step508, before being displayed.

[0048] Next, in step 510, the method determines which of many possiblealternatives the presenter selects for the display of the preview slide.For example, the presenter might select, in step 514, to send thepreview slide to the left screen or, in step 516 to send the previewslide to the right screen. Alternatively, the method can include anautomatic dispatch feature that refers to a preference file todetermine, in step 518, which screen to automatically forward thepreview slide to. Other display options can be selected in step 519,these options can include such things as blanking the left or rightscreen, going back one slide in the presentation, skipping the currentpreview slide without displaying it, jumping to a slide out of order,jumping to a slide from another presentation file, or sending a blanktemplate to one of the display screens. The presenter can also select,in step 512, to display the output of a demonstration computer on eitherthe left screen (step 522) or the right screen (step 524). The presentercan also elect, in step 520, to annotate the slide that is displayed oneither the left screen (in step 526) or the right screen (in step 528).By annotating a slide, the presenter is able to interactively augmentthe presentation in a customized manner appropriate for the audience athand. As the annotations may be useful in later slide presentations andin order to preserve annotations to more than one displayed slide, step530 of the method saves any annotations for future use. Based on thepresenter's selection for displaying or annotating a presentation slide,step 532 results in the next slide being retrieved and displayed in thepreview window. Step 534 represents that the method then repeats itselffrom step 510 until the last slide of the presentation file isdisplayed. The details of this method are presented below in relation toa specific interface and software application for controlling a slidepresentation.

[0049]FIG. 6 shows an exemplary screen shot 600 of the presentationsoftware application that executes on the computer 204 that allows thepresenter to control the presentation made to an audience. Graphicaluser interface components such as drop-down menus, selection boxes,icons, display windows, toolbars, and manipulations thereof are wellknown in the art and will not be described in great detail.

[0050] The foundation for a presentation can consist of, for example, anumber of PowerPoint slides arranged together in what can be referred toas a presentation file. Other slide formats are also contemplated withinthe present invention. The PowerPoint files, or slide shows, and theirindividual frames, can be stored on the hard disk drive of the computer204. For example, the presentation software can be set to look for apresentation files in a default directory such as “D:\courses”. Withinthat directory would be a number of different presentation files thatthe presentation software automatically scans and displays to thepresenter for selection thereof.

[0051] In one embodiment, the presentation system also permitsuser-defined preference data to be associated with any one of thepresentation files. This preference data can take the form of preferencefiles using a predetermined extension (e.g., “.ipf”) so that thepresentation software can easily associate a preference file with itssimilarly named presentation file. In a preferred embodiment, thepreference file can contain a number of entries having three fields:

[0052] <Slide Number>, <Direction Tag>, <Memory Jogger Text>

[0053] Thus, a preference file could resemble:

[0054] 14, R, Mention all three aspects

[0055] 2, L,

[0056] . . .

[0057] 16, R, Tell joke about the three programmers

[0058] As shown, there is no need for the slide numbers to be innumerical order, although following such a convention may prove helpfulunder certain circumstances. Furthermore, there is no requirement thateach slide have an entry nor that each entry have data in every field.

[0059] Alternatively, the preference information can be included inslides of the presentation file itself Using the “notes” section of aPowerPoint slide, or similar features for other presentation fileformats, the preference information does not need to be stored in aseparate preference file but can be included within the presentationfile.

[0060] The presentation software interface provides a drop-down box 616that assists the presenter in selecting a presentation. In FIG. 6, forexample, the presenter has selected a file named “503-CH00US” which, inone embodiment, can be meaningful and indicate that the presentationpertains to chapter 00 of lesson 503. On the hard drive this file couldbe stored as a PowerPoint file “503-Ch00US.ppt”. In a preferredembodiment, the first slide of a selected presentation is automaticallydisplayed in the preview window 602.

[0061] The window 612 shows the 13 slides within the selectedpresentation file and their respective titles. One slide title 614 isshown as selected (as indicated by the reverse video) and this slide 604is displayed in the preview window 602. From this window 602 thepresenter can direct (or dispatch) the slide 604 to one of the videooutputs of the computer 204.

[0062] The monitor on which the screen 600 is displayed can be atouch-screen monitor 212 but the presenter can also interact with thepresentation software's interface using a keyboard or mouse in additionto tactile input.

[0063] There are three icons in screen 600 that determine thedestination of the preview slide 604. The term “destination” refers towhich video output of computer 204 the slide is sent so that it isdisplayed on either the left or right screen. According to oneembodiment, the set-up and cable connections of the video switch areconfigured in a predetermined manner such as that shown in FIG. 2. Thepresentation software knows of this predetermined configuration and isitself configured to provide slide to the appropriate video output basedon which icon is selected by the presenter. The specific cablingconnections can be different than that shown in FIG. 2 as long as thepresentation software is configured to direct video output accordingly.

[0064] The icon 620 causes the presentation software to send the previewslide 604 to the left screen, while the icon 644 causes the presentationsoftware to send the preview slide 604 to the right screen. If thepreview slide 604 has a direction preference specified in an associatedpreferences file, then the icon 632 becomes active and, by selectingthat icon 632, the presenter can send the slide to the preferred screenbased on the direction preference found in the preference file. Once thepreview slide 604 is sent to its appropriate screen for display, thepresentation software automatically displays the next slide in thesequence of slides within the window 602. The preference tag can beoverridden by using either icon 620 or 644 instead of the automatic icon632. The window 618 is used for displaying any memory jogger text fromthe preference file to assist the presenter with the presentation.

[0065] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a slide'sentry in the preference file can have a direction entry such as “LR”.This double entry will have the effect of automatically displaying theone slide on the left screen and then displaying the next slide on theright screen so that both slides appear to be displayed substantiallysimultaneously. As a result, the eventual new preview slide is tworemoved from the initial preview slide.

[0066] Slides can be selected out of sequence from the display window612 and then displayed in the preview window 602.

[0067] The interface screen 600 also provides a “go-back” icon 630 and a“go-forward” icon 634. The icon 630 allows the presenter to proceed in areverse direction in the preview window 602 and the icon 634 allows thecurrent preview slide 604 to be skipped and the next slide in thepresentation to be displayed in the preview window 602.

[0068] The icons 626 and 638, respectively, provide a left screen andright screen “slide jog” feature that allows a slide to appear to beslid up the display screen. This activity mimics the traditional actionof a presenter who slides a view foil up on the projector so that thebottom half of the foil is emphasized. These icons act as toggles suchthat successive selection of the icon flips between normal presentationof a slide and “jogged” presentation of the slide.

[0069] In order to focus students on one screen or the other, and foradditional reasons within a presentation, the presentation softwareinterface provides icon 624 to blank the left display and icon 640 toblank the right display. Selecting either of these icons again willresult in the appropriate display being “unblanked”.

[0070] As shown in the environment of FIG. 2, the video output from thedemonstration computer 216 is provided to the video switch 240. Thepresentation software can effect the display of this video output to oneof the display projectors 232, 236 by appropriate control of the videoswitch 240 via the communications link 310. When the presenter wants todirect the output from the demonstration computer 216 to the leftprojector, the icon 628 is selected. This selection causes thepresentation software to control the video switch 240 to display thevideo signal 218 on the left screen. Similar functionality with theright projector 236 is accomplished using the icon 636. A secondselection of either of the icons 628, 636 will restore the displayedslides to the respective screen instead of the output from thedemonstration computer 216. A second demonstration computer can beincluded that takes advantage of the unused fourth input of video switch240. In such an alternative, manual control of the video switch 240 canprove useful in selecting appropriate video signal routing.

[0071] Using the buttons 650, 652, respectively, the current slidedisplayed on the left or right display screen can be added to a“favorites” list displayed in window 610. This list can be namedsomething meaningful such as “favorites.fvt” and located in the defaultdirectory “D:\courses”. Other file names and locations could also beused.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, the format of the file is:

[0073] <Presentation File>, <Slide Number>: <Descriptive Text>

[0074] Accordingly, one entry may resemble:

[0075] 409-Ch05, 14: Free Threading

[0076] which refers to the fourteenth slide of the presentation file409-Ch05.ppt (for example, if PowerPoint slides are being used). Thedescriptive text can be any text, but the slide title is one usefulexample.

[0077] By selecting either of the buttons 650 or 652, a new entry isappended to, or otherwise inserted into, the favorites file. In apreferred embodiment, this file is useful among different presentationfiles and is not specific to a particular presentation file. Thepresenter selects a slide from the window 610 similar to the manner inwhich a slide is selected from the window 612. One difference, is thatthe presentation software must open the referenced presentation file,extract the appropriate slide and display that in the preview window602. The slide can then be dispatched to the left or right screen usingthe icons 620 and 644 respectively. Once the slide is dispatched, thepresentation reverts back to the slide location within the originalpresentation file in order to select the next slide to place in thepreview window 602.

[0078] The presentation software cooperates with three differentinstances of a slide annotation application (i.e., an annotation tool).The slide annotation tool can be a vector-based drawing tool thatgenerates graphics that can be overlaid onto a presentation slide. Eachof these instances of the annotation tool correspond to a different oneof the monitors 212, 234, 238. The execution of an annotation toolinstance results in an annotation toolbar being displayed on each of thedifferent monitors 212, 234, 238. The annotation toolbar 608 associatedwith the annotation tool for the center monitor 212 is depicted at thebottom of the preview window 602. Using this toolbar, the presenter canannotate the slide 604 before it is dispatched to either the left orright display screens. Each of the left and right monitors 234 and 238have their own associated annotation tools and similar toolbars.

[0079] The clock icon 606 opens a timer window that allows a presenterto select a time period and display a countdown screen that indicatesremaining time within that period. This time period can reflect the timeleft to complete an exercise or the time left until the end of a breakin the presentation.

[0080]FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary annotation toll toolbar such as thatshown in FIG. 6. The different functions of the toolbar are selected bytapping or selecting the appropriate icon. From left to right, the iconsinclude:

[0081]702: A hide/unhide button that expands or contracts the display ofthe toolbar.

[0082]704: A text function that is used by tapping on the presentationslide where text should appear and then using the keyboard (of thecomputer 204) to enter text.

[0083]706: A free-hand drawing tool that allows drawing on the slide,preferably using a stylus or other similar implement.

[0084]708: A rectangle draw function that allows selecting a startingcorner and dragging to an ending corner to define a rectangle.

[0085]710: An ellipse draw function similar to the rectangle functionbut an ellipse is drawn in the defined “boundary” box.

[0086] In a preferred embodiment, both the rectangle and ellipse toolsautomatically activate a text entry function so that the created shapecan have text entered without requiring the selection of any additionalicons.

[0087]712: A straight line draw function that is used by selecting thestarting and ending points of the line.

[0088]714: A “callout” function that creates a text entry box thatresembles a comic strip dialogue balloon.

[0089]716: A highlighter tool that creates a rectangle on the screenthat is highlighted in transparent yellow.

[0090]718: A pointer tool that allows an indicator to be displayed onthe presentation slide at a desired location. In a preferred embodiment,the indicator is a bright red arrow. This arrow will move to anylocation on the presentation slide that is tapped by the presenter.

[0091]720: A progressive revelation function that covers portions of thepresentation slide to prevent its display. The first tap on the screensets the starting vertical location and each successive tap repositionsthe overlay to display more and more of the presentation slide.

[0092]722: An eraser tool that erases any annotations on a presentationslide.

[0093]724: An undo function that removes each annotation in a reverseorder.

[0094]726: A color selection tool that selects from among differentcolors the color for future annotation operations.

[0095] Annotations can be taking place on the left, right and centermonitors in any particular order; therefore, in a preferred embodiment,annotations are saved every time a presenter navigates away from apresentation slide. For example, slide 14 can be displayed on the leftmonitor 234 and be annotated while slide 13 is displayed on the rightmonitor 238. If the presenter touches the right monitor 238, then theoperating system of computer 204 detects that focus has now shifted tothe right monitor 238 and any further input will be interpreted by theannotation tool associated with that monitor 238. The presentationsoftware also saves any current annotations for slide 14 beforeproceeding. If the presenter then navigates back to slide 14, thecurrent annotations for slide 13 are saved and further input isinterpreted by the annotation tool associated with the left monitor 234.

[0096] In a preferred embodiment, the vector graphics files created byeach annotation tool are stored in the “C:\courses” directory. Forexample, as annotations are made to the slides within presentation file409-Ch05.ppt, a directory 409-Ch05.ann can be created and populated witha file “xxx” wherein the “xxx” refers to the slide within thatpresentation file.

[0097] When the presentation software presents a slide in the previewwindow 602 it can automatically search for the existence of anyannotation files and automatically augment the slide accordingly. As aresult, annotation files can be saved and moved to another computer toaugment a presentation from that computer while still utilizing thepresentation slides that reside on the second computer. Also, there-display of an annotated slide is not dependent on the display screenon which the slide was originally annotated. For example, a slidedisplayed and annotated while on the right display screen can be laterrecalled for display and dispatched to the left display screen and anyprevious annotations will be displayed on the left display screenwithout any need for modification.

[0098] Returning briefly to the interface screen 600 of FIG. 6, thereare two complementary icons 622 and 642. These icons, respectively,start a blank slide on the left and right display screens. This blankslide can then be annotated as desired. In a preferred embodiment, adialog box appears that asks for a name for the blank slide and canprovide a suggested default name as well. If the newly named slide isnot saved as a favorite, then it will be deleted upon ending the currentpresentation. If it is saved, then it will be available for recalllater. In a similar manner, individual slides may be created and copiedinto the “C:\courses” directory and manually added to the favoritesfile. In this manner, additional, extrinsic slides that augment apresentation file can easily be made available for selection and displayduring a pre-scripted presentation.

[0099] The presentation system is not limited to presenting viewablecontent from only a single document file format. The presentationsystem, for example, can work with two or more different document fileformats such as PowerPoint presentations and Adobe Acrobat PDF files. Ina preferred embodiment, the PowerPoint presentations are used to deliverscreens of information in landscape layout, while Acrobat files displayinformation from portrait layout paginated documents.

[0100] According to this embodiment, both the PowerPoint and Acrobatpresentations can be treated in exactly the same way by the presentationsystem, including the incorporation of any annotation files associatedwith each screen of the document being displayed. Because of the aspectratio difference between landscape and portrait documents, there may beinstances in which only two-thirds of a portrait-mode page (e.g., anAcrobat page) is displayed on each screen and projector. The ‘nudge up’buttons 626, 638 on the interface 600 are used to make the lowertwo-thirds of an Acrobat page visible.

[0101] The functionality and benefits of the “favorites” mechanismremain the same for either PowerPoint or Acrobat pages, as both formatscan be saved and then recalled for display on any display screen 212,234, 238.

[0102] An exemplary remote control 108 of FIG. 1 is shown in more detailin FIG. 8 as element 800. For example, the remote control 800 canconnect to the computer 204 using an input/output port that is not beingused by another component of the system 200. The remote control does notneed to have the entire tool suite that is shown in FIG. 6 but rathercan include a button 802 for automatically advancing a slide; a button804 for skipping the current preview slide; a button 806 for sending thepreview slide to the right screen; a button 808 for blanking/unblankingthe right screen; a button 810 for blanking/unblanking the left screen;and a button 812 for sending the preview slide to the left screen.

[0103]FIG. 9 depicts an alternative presentation system arrangement 900as compared to the system 100 of FIG. 1 or the system 200 of FIG. 2.However, there are many common components in each of the systems thathave previously been described in detail with respect to the earlierfigures. Accordingly, so as not to obscure the differences between thevarious arrangements, detailed description of those common featuresshared by each arrangement are not repeated with reference to FIG. 9.Instead, the distinctions between the various arrangements arehighlighted and a detailed description of those differences is provided.

[0104] In FIG. 9, the computer 902 controls the data flows andpresentation materials used by the other components. This computer 902includes a communications port 904 for interfacing with input devicessuch as trackball, keyboards (standard or miniature) and mice. Thecomputer 902 provides a graphical user interface, via the video port908, on the touch screen 918 to assist a presenter or instructor incontrolling a presentation. The communications port 906 receivesfeedback from the touch screen 918 such as provided by a stylus.

[0105] While any conventional touch screen terminal can be used, anexemplary touch screen 918 is the 18-inch Wacom Cintiq computer-aideddesign terminal. This particular terminal includes a tailored stylusthat allows a user to rest their hand on the display screen whilewriting. This functionality improves the accuracy of annotation.

[0106] Video ports 910 and 912 provide the video output for display onthe right and left projectors 924, 926. As described earlier, thepresentation system alternates or otherwise controls the electronicdisplay of information by directing display screens to a particularprojector under the control of a presenter using the graphical userinterface provided on touch screen 918.

[0107] As other video sources 920 may be occasionally displayed oneither projector 924 or 926, the video outputs from the ports 910 and912 are routed through a video switch 922 that is controlled via signalsfrom a port 914 on the computer 902. Thus, using the graphical userinterface to produce control signals from the port 914, the presentercan control the directing of slides from video ports 910 and 912 as wellas control the selection and deselection of alternate video signals fromsources 920.

[0108] Although the video switch 922 is depicted as a single n×2 videoswitch (i.e., having n inputs and 2 outputs), other configurations, suchas a pair of 2×1 switches, could also be used. Alternatively, the switch922 can be omitted if the projectors 924 and 926 have multiple inputports. In this alternative, the control signal from port 914 woulddirectly control the appropriate projector to display a selected input.

[0109] One significant difference between the system 900 of FIG. 9 andthe earlier-described systems is that a single touch screen 918 is usedinstead of a center display 104 and left and right displays 110 a, 110b. To accommodate this simplification, the presentation control softwarerunning on the computer 902 uses a multi-windowed, tabbed interface onthe single touch screen 918.

[0110]FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary graphical user interface 1000 for thesingle screen alternative of FIG. 9. The interface 1000 includes a maindisplay area 1024 that includes three sub-windows 1006, 1008, 1010. Thecenter window 1006 displays the current instructor's screen that will bedirected to either the left or right projector. The left window 1008displays the currently displayed left projector screen and the rightwindow 1010 displays the currently displayed right projector screen.

[0111] The interface 1000 includes the icon tool bar 1004 across the topas well as respective left and right toolbars 1020 and 1022 along eachside. These toolbars provide functionality as described previously thatpermit a presenter to, for example, direct pages to one screen or theother, skip pages, send blank pages, scroll pages jump between pages,select an alternative video source (e.g., a demo computer), and save orselect “favorites”. Along the top of the interface 1000 is the memoryjogger bar 1002 that displays a brief note about the current instructorscreen 1006.

[0112] Along the bottom of the interface 1000 are three tabs 1012-1016corresponding to a respective one of the sub windows in the display area1024. Using the left screen tab 1012, a user can select the leftprojector screen for annotation, and using the right screen tab 1010,the user can select the right projector screen for annotation. Using thecenter tab 1014, the user can return to the composite, multi-windowedscreen 1024 shown in FIG. 10.

[0113] The graphical user interface 1000 is displayed on the touchscreen display 918 that provides feedback to the computer 902 throughthe communications port 906. Annotations and toolbar selections can beperformed from the composite screen 1024; however, selecting one of thecurrent display screens 1008, 1010 will allow finer control over anyannotations. One of the display screens can be selected using theappropriate tab (1012 or 1016) or simply by selecting one of the windows(1008 or 1010) using one of the input devices 916.

[0114]FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary snapshot 1100 of the graphical userinterface 1000 once the left screen 1008 (for example) is selected forannotation. As shown in FIG. 11, the screen tabs 1012-1016 remain at thebottom of the snapshot 1100 and the left screen side toolbar 1020remains to the left side of the snapshot 1100. Instead of the compositescreen 1024, however, the current left projector screen is displayed1008 so as to nearly fill the display area. Along the top of thesnapshot 1100 is the memory jogger area 1102 for the current leftprojector screen and near the bottom of the snapshot 1100 is theannotation toolbar 1104. The details of the annotation toolbar weredescribed earlier with respect to FIG. 7, and its icons provide toolsand functions that simplify annotating the currently displayed screen.These annotations appear in real time during the presentation in orderto enhance the dynamic nature of a presentation provided using thesystem 900.

[0115] The layout of the snapshot 1100 and the interface 1000 areexemplary in nature. Of course, other functionally equivalent toolbars,screen layout, icon labels, and features are contemplated withinadditional embodiments of the present invention.

[0116] There is much similarity between the tools and facilitiesavailable in the alternative presentation system of FIGS. 9-12 and thosedescribed and explained with respect to FIGS. 1-8. However, in thealternative arrangement, there is preferably one touch screen forcontrolling the three video outputs. Thus, a presenter switches formimage to image on the touch screen rather than annotating three separatetouch screens.

[0117] A typical use of this system would start with selecting the“Chapter” button to load a chapter of multiple screens for presentation.Using the instructor screen as the control interface for thepresentation application, pages are sent alternately left and rightusing the left and right buttons of the toolbar. Alternatively, defaultpreferences could be stored that automatically control how the screensare directed for presentation. To annotate a particular projected image,the annotation tools can be used on the smaller display windows found onthe instructor screen interface of FIG. 10. Alternatively, should thepresenter select one of the current projector screens (by clicking onthe window or using the tab button), then the corresponding left orright screen image is magnified to nearly fill the touch screen area asshown in FIG. 11. This allows annotation to be applied much moreaccurately to the magnified window. Once any annotation is completed,clicking on the “Instructor Screen” tab will cause the composite,multi-windowed instructor screen to reappear so that the presentationcan continue.

[0118]FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a “zoom” functionality that can beutilized within the multi-display environment of FIG. 1 or thesingle-screen display environment of FIG. 9. As the functionality issubstantially the same in both environments the exemplary embodimentdepicted in FIGS. 12-14 is simply that of the single screen displayenvironment. In addition to the scenarios described earlier involvingmultiple slides displayed on the left and right side screens, the zoomfunctionality permits displaying a single slide, in different ways, onboth the right and left side screens.

[0119]FIG. 12 depicts a screen view of an instructor screen as indicatedby the tab 1210 at the bottom of the screen. As previously described,this screen displays a next slide 1204 and also a copy 1206 of what isbeing displayed on the right-hand screen and a copy 1208 of what isbeing displayed on the left-hand screen.

[0120] In the particular situation depicted in FIG. 12, known assplit-screen mode, a current slide is displayed on both the left-handand right-hand screens. For example, the window 1206 shows the upperportion of the current slide while the window 1208 shows the lowerportion of the current slide. There is some overlap portion 1212 thatappears in both windows and this portion 1212 can be shaded or otherwisevisually distinguished to help an observer recognize that thisinformation is in both windows.

[0121] A “zoom” tool 1202 is available to the presenter that allowsfurther control of how the current slide is displayed. FIG. 13 depictshow the display windows change once the zoom tool 1202 is selected.While the window 1204 remains the same, the display windows 1304 and1302 change their behavior.

[0122] In the right-hand window 1302, the entire current slide is shownas being displayed on the right side display screen. In a preferredembodiment, the left side display screen is blank. However, theleft-hand window 1304 can include helpful instructions for the presenterthat suggest, for example, that a portion of the slide should beselected so as to permit “zooming-in”. In practice, the presenter wouldthen use the select tool 1306 to select a portion of the slide displayedin window 1302. This tool preferably utilizes a click-and-drag operationthat is familiar to most computer users.

[0123]FIG. 14 depicts how the windows change once a portion 1404 of theslide 1402 has been selected with the tool 1306. In particular, the leftside display screen is no longer blank but displays a “zoomed-in”portion of the slide as shown in the left-hand window 1406. The displayof the slide in window 1402 also changes to include some visual cues,such as shading, that highlight the selected portion 1404. The window1204 continues to show the next slide in the presentation.

[0124] As for annotation, both the left-hand window 1406 and theright-hand window 1402 can be annotated using the tools and methodsdescribed earlier.

[0125]FIG. 15 illustrates a screen shot of one embodiment of the presentinvention that includes features not yet described in previousembodiments.

[0126] Similar to previous screen shots of the presentation controlinterface, FIG. 15 includes a sub-window 1506 for displaying the nextslide in the presentation as well as sub-windows 1504, 1508 fordisplaying the slides presently being displayed on the left and rightprojections screens, respectively.

[0127] During a presentation, the presenter may become aware of an erroror other inappropriate content on a slide. Additionally, from audiencefeedback, the presenter may learn of additional information that mightbe added to a slide. In these instances, the presentation system andmethod, herein described, provides a tool 1502 to mark a slide, duringthe presentation, as needing correction.

[0128] While the slide is still being displayed during the presentation,the presenter can use the annotation tool to create annotations 1510 a,1510 b that are depicted on the window 1508 but preferably not on thedisplay screen seen by the audience. Alternatively, the presenter cansimply click on the tool 1502 to mark the slide for later revision.After a slide has been marked, the presentation can continue until it iscompleted. The instructor can then review the slides and annotate anymarked slides at a more convenient time. To assist the presenter inrecognizing which slides have been marked using tool 1502, a visualindicator 1512 can be added to each such slide.

[0129] If the computer system (e.g., 902) on which the presentationcontrol interface executes is connected to a network, then the slideswhich are marked and annotated by the presenter can easily be forwardedto other individuals to perform correction or updating of the slides. Ina preferred embodiment, the presentation control system automaticallylocates recently annotated slides and forwards them on for updating.

[0130] Another feature of the screen shot 1500 involves a timelinetracking indicator 1514. This indicator 1514 displays an indication ofhow the current presentation is progressing in comparison to a pre-settimeline. To help the presenter maintain a predetermined schedule duringthe presentation, each slide can have associated meta-information thatindicates how long the slide should preferably be displayed during thepresentation. As discussed earlier, each slide can have associatedmetadata such as screen preference and memory-jogger text, etc. Thetiming meta-information, now being described, is used to determine howclosely the presenter is following the expected timeline of apresentation.

[0131] The logical flow diagram of FIG. 16 depicts an exemplary methodfor providing timeline information to a presenter. Once a presentationis started, a clock or timer is started in step 1602. Next a slide isretrieved for presentation, in step 1604, and timing information for theslide is extracted, in step 1606, regarding when that slide should bedisplayed during the presentation. Eventually, in step 1608, thepresenter will display the slide to the audience. At this point in timea timestamp is created indicating when that particular slide wasdisplayed based on the running clock or timer. If associated timingmeta-information cannot be located for a presentation, the system cansimply use a default time for each slide instead of generating an errormessage or otherwise affecting the presentation.

[0132] In step 1610, the time that has expired since the start of thepresentation (i.e., the timestamp from the previous step) is compared tothe expected time that the slide should have been displayed. A number ofalternatives are contemplated for performing this comparison. Forexample, each slide can have meta-information that indicates how long itshould be displayed during a presentation. In this instance, then, theexpected display time for a slide is simply the sum of all the previousslides “display times”. Alternatively, the meta-information could be apoint-in-time relative to the start of the presentation (e.g., 5:15minutes). In this instance, the expected display time is explicitlyidentified and does not have to be calculated using information aboutthe previous slides. Other functionally equivalent methods for trackingwhen a slide is presented and when it should have been presented arealso contemplated by the present invention.

[0133] In step 1612, the timestamp information (see step 1608) is storedin a log file, either remotely or locally, in order to record theprogress of the presentation as it is occurring. If a slide is skipped,then this log file can preferably include such an annotation rather thanan associated timestamp.

[0134] An indicator of the comparison that occurred in step 1610 can bedisplayed for the presenter in step 1616. As shown in FIG. 15, a gauge1514 indicating timing information about the current presentation isprovided on the interface 1500 for the presenter. Although this timinginformation can be displayed in a variety of equivalent graphicalformats, FIG. 15 depicts one exemplary display indicator 1514. In thisexample, a time bar includes region 1516 (which can be red) thatindicates being behind schedule, a center region 1517 (which can beblack) that indicates being substantially on schedule, and anotherregion 1518 (which can be green) that indicates being ahead of schedule.A bar 1519 is also present which overlays the appropriate region 1516,1517, 1518 of the timebar depending on how the presentation isprogressing relative to the predetermined schedule. As shown, the text“2 minutes ahead” can also be present to more specifically indicate thetimeline information to the presenter.

[0135] If there are more slides in the presentation, then a decision instep 1618 returns logical flow to step 1604 so that the next slide canbe retrieved. Once the presentation is over, however, the accumulatedtimestamp information, such as the log file, can be further analyzed.For example, the log file can be automatically forwarded in step 1614 toa remote location in order to determine how closely the presentationfollowed the prescribed timeline. Historical data can thus be collectedto permit such activities as evaluating presenters' conformance oradjusting the prescribed timelines.

[0136] Additionally, the “Tools” menu bar can include an option fortimeline-related information that provides more detailed information toa presenter. For example, one option may be to display a list of allremaining slides in the presentation along with their expected displaytimes. Another option may be to display a list of exercises thataccompany the presentation and a calculation, based on the remainingtime and the remaining slides, of how much time can be allocated by thepresenter to the hands-on exercises.

[0137] The stylus 1520, or highlighter tool, is typically used by thepresenter to highlight portions of a slide during its presentation.Usually manipulation of the stylus 1520 after it has been selected isaccomplished using a mouse or other input device attached to thecomputer 902 (see FIG. 9). In addition to such an input device, recentadvances in wireless technologies permit an additional mouse or otherinput device to be located remotely from the computer 902. For example,the presenter can carry a hand-held input device that controls thestylus 1520 though an interface with any of the interface ports on thecomputer 902. In this manner, the presenter can highlight and otherwiseannotate a slide while being physically located somewhere else than atthe keyboard of the computer 902.

[0138] While particular embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed, it is to be understood that various different modificationsare possible and are contemplated within the true spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. There is no intention, therefore, of limitations tothe exact abstract or disclosure herein presented.

We claim:
 1. A method for providing an electronic presentation of aplurality of slides using multiple display screens, comprising the stepsof: providing a presentation control interface on a center displayscreen; displaying a slide, from among the plurality of slides, in apreview window within the presentation control interface; receivinginput via the presentation control interface indicating whether todirect the slide to a right display screen or a left display screen;dispatching the slide for display on the indicated display screen;displaying simultaneously with the slide in the preview window withinthe presentation control interface, a first window corresponding to anyslide currently displayed on the right display screen and a secondwindow corresponding to any slide currently displayed on the leftdisplay screen, and retrieving a next slide for display in the previewwindow.
 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the stepsof: outputting the slide as right-side video data if the slide isdispatched to the right display screen; and outputting the slide asleft-side video data if the slide is directed to the left displayscreen. selecting one of the first window and second window via thepresentation control interface; receiving input from a device locatedremotely from the presentation control interfaces; adjusting theright-side video data based on the received input, if the selectedwindow corresponds to the right display screen; and adjusting theleft-side video data based on the received input, if the selected windowcorresponds to the left display screen.
 3. The method according to theclaim 2, wherein either of the conditional adjusting steps includehighlighting a portion of the selected window.
 4. The method accordingto claim 1, further comprising the step of: marking a selected slidefrom among the plurality of slides to indicate a revision of theselected slide is needed.
 5. The method according to claim 4, furthercomprising the step of: adding one or more annotations to the markedselected slide.
 6. The method according to claim 5, further comprisingthe step of: if said marked selected slide is dispatched for display onthe indicated display screen, then displaying the annotations within thepresentation control interface but not on the indicated display screen.7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:forwarding the marked selected slide to a remote location.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: starting a timerwhen a first of the plurality of slides is dispatched for display;determining a timestamp for when a current slide is dispatched fordisplay; comparing the timestamp to a predetermined timeline associatedwith the plurality of slides; and indicating within the presentationcontrol interface whether the current slide was dispatched behind, inconformance with, or ahead of the predetermined timeline.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 8, further comprising the steps of: dispatching fordisplay each of the plurality of slides; storing the timestamp for eachcurrent slide when it is dispatched for display; and forwarding thestored timestamps to a remote location.
 10. A system providingelectronic presentations comprising: a plurality of presentation slidesstored in a first memory accessible by a programmable computer; a firstdisplay screen coupled with the programmable computer and having a firstvideo input signal; a second display screen coupled with theprogrammable computer and having a second video input signal; a thirddisplay screen coupled with the programmable computer and having a thirdvideo input signal; a presentation control application stored in asecond memory accessible by the programmable computer; and theprogrammable computer being configured to execute the presentationcontrol application to provide an interface, displayed on the thirddisplay screen, by which each of the plurality of slides is dispatchedfor display to either one of the first or second display screens,wherein said interface is configured to simultaneously display: a firstwindow displaying a first image corresponding to the first video inputsignal; a second window displaying a second image corresponding to thesecond video signal; and a third window displaying an image of a nextpresentation slide.
 11. The system according to claim 10, furthercomprising an input device located remotely from the programmablecomputer.
 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the presentationcontrol application is further configured to modify either the first orsecond image based on input received from the input device.
 13. Thesystem according to claim 10, wherein the presentation controlapplication is further configured to mark a selected slide from amongthe plurality of slides and to add one or more annotations to the markedselected slide.
 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein if themarked selected slide is dispatched for display on either the first orsecond display screens, then the presentation control application isconfigured to display the annotations within the interface but not oneither the first or second display screens.
 15. The system according toclaim 10, further comprising: wherein the plurality of slides arearranged in a presentation file; and respective timing information,stored in the first memory, associated with each slide related to aprescribed timeline for the presentation file.
 16. The system accordingto claim 15, wherein the presentation control application is furtherconfigured to: determine a start time since a first slide in thepresentation file was dispatched for display; determine a time relativeto the start time when a current slide in the presentation file isdispatched for display; and determine if the current slide wasdispatched behind, in conformance with, or ahead of the prescribedtimeline.
 17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the presentationcontrol application is further configured to: generate a respectivetimestamp for each of the plurality of slides when each slide isdispatched for display; and store the respective timestamps in the firstmemory.
 18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the presentationcontrol application is further configured to: forward the storedrespective timestamps along with identifying information about thepresentation file to a remote location.
 19. The method according toclaim 16, wherein the presentation control application is furtherconfigured to: display on the third display screen and indication ofwhether the current slide was dispatched behind, in conformance with, orahead of the prescribed timeline.
 20. A method for providing anelectronic presentation of a plurality of slides using multiple displayscreens, comprising the steps of: providing a presentation controlinterface on a center display screen; displaying a slide, from among theplurality of slides, in a preview window within the presentation controlinterface; receiving input via the presentation control interfaceindicating whether to direct the slide to a right display screen or aleft display screen; dispatching the slide for display on the indicateddisplay screen; and retrieving a next slide for display in the previewwindow.
 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising thesteps of: outputting the slide as right-side video data if the slide isdispatched to the right display screen; and outputting the slide asleft-side video data if the slide is directed to the left displayscreen. selecting one of the first window and second window via thepresentation control interface; receiving input from a device locatedremotely from the presentation control interfaces; adjusting theright-side video data based on the received input, if the selectedwindow corresponds to the right display screen; and adjusting theleft-side video data based on the received input, if the selected windowcorresponds to the left display screen.
 22. The method according to theclaim 21, wherein either of the conditional adjusting steps includehighlighting a portion of the selected window.
 23. The method accordingto claim 20, further comprising the step of: marking a selected slidefrom among the plurality of slides to indicate a revision of theselected slide is desired.
 24. The method according to claim 23, furthercomprising the step of: adding one or more annotations to the markedselected slide.
 25. The method according to claim 24, further comprisingthe step of: if said marked selected slide is dispatched for display onthe indicated display screen, then displaying the annotations within thepresentation control interface but not on the indicated display screen.26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of:forwarding the marked selected slide to a remote location.
 27. Themethod according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of: startinga timer when a first of the plurality of slides is dispatched fordisplay; determining a timestamp for when a current slide is dispatchedfor display; comparing the timestamp to a predetermined timelineassociated with the plurality of slides; and indicating within thepresentation control interface whether the current slide was dispatchedbehind, in conformance with, or ahead of the predetermined timeline. 28.The method according to claim 27, further comprising the steps of:dispatching for display each of the plurality of slides; storing thetimestamp for each current slide when it is dispatched for display; andforwarding the stored timestamps to a remote location.
 29. A systemproviding electronic presentations comprising: a plurality ofpresentation slides stored in a first memory accessible by aprogrammable computer; a first display screen coupled with theprogrammable computer and having a first video input signal; a seconddisplay screen coupled with the programmable computer and having asecond video input signal; a third display screen coupled with theprogrammable computer and having a third video input signal; apresentation control application stored in a second memory accessible bythe programmable computer; and the programmable computer beingconfigured to execute the presentation control application to provide aninterface, displayed on the third display screen, by which each of theplurality of slides is dispatched for display to either one of the firstor second display screens.
 30. The system according to claim 29, furthercomprising an input device located remotely from the programmablecomputer.
 31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the presentationcontrol application is further configured to modify either the first orsecond image based on input received from the input device.
 32. Thesystem according to claim 29, wherein the presentation controlapplication is further configured to mark a selected slide from amongthe plurality of slides and to add one or more annotations to the markedselected slide.
 33. The system according to claim 32, wherein if themarked selected slide is dispatched for display on either the first orsecond display screens, then the presentation control application isconfigured to display the annotations within the interface but not oneither the first or second display screens.
 34. The system according toclaim 29, further comprising: wherein the plurality of slides arearranged in a presentation file; and respective timing information,stored in the first memory, associated with each slide related to aprescribed timeline for the presentation file.
 35. The system accordingto claim 34, wherein the presentation control application is furtherconfigured to: determine a start time since a first slide in thepresentation file was dispatched for display; determine a time relativeto the start time when a current slide in the presentation file isdispatched for display; and determine if the current slide wasdispatched behind, in conformance with, or ahead of the prescribedtimeline.
 36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the presentationcontrol application is further configured to: generate a respectivetimestamp for each of the plurality of slides when each slide isdispatched for display; and store the respective timestamps in the firstmemory.
 37. The system according to claim 36, wherein the presentationcontrol application is further configured to: forward the storedrespective timestamps along with identifying information about thepresentation file to a remote location.
 38. The system according toclaim 35, wherein the presentation control application is furtherconfigured to: display on the third display screen and indication ofwhether the current slide was dispatched behind, in conformance with, orahead of the prescribed timeline.